I'm Okay With That
by caitymae1992
Summary: "Wally West never lost his cool; as far as he knew he was the definition of cool. But today, was the day that Wallace Rudolph West lost his cool. One moment he and the blonde archer were in the Cave arguing by the pool, the next he had her laying on the ground, his body over hers and his hands on her chest." I call these, snapshot stories.
1. Taking A Dip

Changed it from Wally's POV to third person. I'm going to be changing the next chapter too. I hope this one is better! Thanks for keeping up with this! =D

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><p><strong>The Cave<br>Sunday, November 14, 2:50pm**

Wally West never lost his cool; as far as he knew he was the definition of cool. But today, was the day that Wallace Rudolph West lost his cool. One moment he and the blonde archer were in the Cave arguing by the pool, the next he had her laying on the ground, his body over hers and his hands on her chest. The young heroes were having one of their typical arguments that had ended with Wally pushing Artemis into the pool and walking out of the room in a huff of fast limbs and growling stomach. But to Kid Flash's luck the boy forgot his backpack and had to go back in and face the archer's wrath. When he zipped back into the pool room he found that Artemis wasn't even in there which, to his speedy minded calculations, she should be stomping-sopping wet-to the showers. It wasn't until then, a half a second later, that he saw her body floating on the surface of the water, face down. Wallace Rudolph Wes's alliance wasn't Kid Flash for a reason, he dove right into the water with his shoes still tied and his sweater still zipped. The only thing on his mind was saving the most infuriating and stupidly beautiful blonde's life. The redhead had her out of the water in seconds and it only took a nanosecond to realize that she wasn't breathing or coughing up water. He placed his hands on her chest and started thumping; _push down, release, repeat._ After he pumped her chest five times he pinched her nose, tipped her head by her chin and blew his breath into her lungs. When she didn't respond he started thumping his hands on her chest again, he was halfway through his third pump when she started coughing. Wally took hold of her arm, raised it above her head and turned her on her side; she coughed out what seemed, to Wally, a gallon of water. He took a look at her face and noticed blood dripping from a pretty good sized gash on her forehead.

Artemis sat up with a groan and looked around, "What just happened?"

Wally placed one hand between her shoulder blades and another on her arm to stop her from standing, "You decided to go almost drown yourself. Don't stand. You're bleeding."

She glared at the redhead, "_I_ decided to drown myself?"

Wally looked away and scowled at the tile, "Look, I didn't mean to…"

"Didn't mean to? Wally! You pushed me into the water!" She fumed.

"It was the shallow end!" The speedster's arms spread wide to make some sort of point.

"Yes," she rolled her eyes, "and I hit my head on the bottom!"

Wally looked at her forehead with shame and put his hand behind her back to steady her again, "Look, that wasn't one of my better ideas." Artemis gave him a look as if to say, _you think. _"And I'm sorry."

She blinked and raised her eyebrows, "Yeah, yeah," and she started to stand.

When she did she swayed, "I don't think that's a good idea." Wally stood next to her and took hold of her arm, "Here," He tucked one arm under her knees and used his other to support her back, "I'll take you to the infirmary."

"Wally, don't run," She looked at him with glazed gray eyes and blood starting to make its way into her hair, "I feel really," she blinked, "dizzy," she whispered as her head fell against his shoulder.

Wally swallowed hard, "Hey, Artemis, stay with me. Stay awake, okay Arty."

"Okay."

Kid Flash was as fast as the speed of sound; he could make it from Central City to Gotham in thirty minutes. But right now was not the time for his superspeed, now was time for fast walking. He made it to the infirmary as fast as he could and pressed a small button that signaled one of the Cave's "den mothers" to aid anyone in the room. Luckily it was Red Tornado who came into the medical center; he wouldn't ask many questions or make many assumptions. Wally informed him of the situation, leaving out the whole pushing Artemis into the pool, and the robot aided the blonde.

Red Tornado's mechanical eyes looked at the redhead, "Artemis is in need of stitches and because of where the cut is I cannot give her normal shots to numb her head so I will have to give her morphine intravenously"

Wally looked down at the girl and started to turn away, "Oh, okay."

"And because of legal purposes," Red Tornado continued as if Wally had said nothing, "You are subjected to stay while I administer the medication and apply the stitches, since no one else is in the cave at the moment and it is imperative that I do this now."

The morphine didn't take long to start affecting the archer's thinking process and she looked at the redhead with confusion in her eyes, "Wally?"

"Yeah?" He sat at a chair by her bed.

"I'm sorry for calling you an unskilled jerk." She sighed.

"It's okay, Arty." Wally chuckled at her satisfied, and drugged, face as she stopped talking and stared out into space.

"Because," She started again after Red Tornado finished with his work and left, "you aren't unskilled. You have running skills, science skills, charisma skills." She gave a small giggle, "well maybe not charisma, but you can talk to people." She sighed again, "I feel funny." The blonde giggled again, "Wally…"

"Yeah, Arty?" She stared off into the distance with a look of concentration on her face. "Arty?" She still didn't respond, "Hey, beautiful, can you hear me?"

"Wally, the shadows," she looked off into the corner of the room.

The redhead looked at her in confusion, "What about the shadows, babe?"

"They won't leave me alone," Her voice was hushed, "Make them go away." Her lip trembled as she glanced down at her hands wringing in her blanket, "Wally, save me." Her voice sounded so desperate, "Please save me." She looked at the speedster with unshed tears in her eyes.

"Artemis," He placed his hand over hers, "There is nothing there." His thumb running over her knuckles, "You're safe."

"They're always there, Wally. They never leave me and they'll never go away. They're always watching and waiting for me to mess up. Then they hurt me and it's just not fair." She was frantic now as tears ran down her cheeks, "Why does it have to be me? I just want to do good," she sniffled, "To be good. I don't want the shadows to be a part of me. I don't want-"

"Hey beautiful, It's okay." Wally lifted himself next to her on the mattress and put his arm around her shoulders. "Shhh…It's okay. I'll keep you safe, I promise. It's okay, babe. It's okay. Shhh…"

She quieted down and placed her head against his chest. The last thing Wally heard her say before she fell asleep was, "Kid Flash, my hero."

Wally dozed off a few minutes after with a content smile on his face. And when they woke up he told her that in her drugged state she insisted that she sleep next to the Wall-Man.


	2. Bonding Time

**This chapter has been changed to 3rd person recently. Totally better in my opinion!**

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><p><strong>The Cav<strong>**e  
><strong>**Saturday, November 20, 1:23pm**

They finally had a day off where there was no need for a covert operations group. Their mentors didn't need them, the world wasn't calling for teenage superheroes, their parents weren't calling for them, and school wasn't in session. They weren't able to be kids for what felt like ages, even if they were only a covert operations group for four months, but today they were free and they were able to act their age. So as a team of teens they decided to have a little _team bonding time_, as Kaldur called it, at the pool in the cave.

It was atrocious that the most customary thing to wear at a pool would be swimsuit and Wally West-the Kid Flash-was not enjoying the feeling that s_he_, in all her long blonde hair and glowing olive skin glory, was giving him. _She _was possibly the most sexiest-lady, woman, girl, _thing-_person in a bikini; at least that's what Wally thought. Her torso was tiny and hard with muscle, her legs lean, her chest was out there in all of the most perfect ways, and the speedster didn't even want to get caught staring at her backside. So naturally he stared at her hair; it was different today, instead of its usual pony tail, her long blonde mane was twisted into a sort of braid over one shoulder. It kind of looked like a fish's tale; which was sort of weird to think of, but it still somehow looked good; but maybe she could just pull things like that off, because she was the most beautiful person in the world. Dick had said it, Canary had said it, Wally's Mom, Uncle Barry, even stoner Dylan from the redhead's English class had said it; Wallace Rudolph West was in denial. And he had finally realized that he was not okay with that, because seeing her at that moment, lean and olive skinned; he wanted to be with her. He wanted to hold her, to kiss her, hug her, tell her all of his secrets and know all of hers. The speedster sunk deeper into his chair and closed his eyes.

"Wally. Have you been listenin' to a word I've been sayin' or have you been too busy starin' at a certain archer's bod the whole time?" Wally opened his eyes to see a very sassily standing Raquel leaning over him holding a bag of grapes in front of his face.

The speedster's eyes narrowed in confusion, "What?"

"Um-hum, that's what I thought. Just take your damn grapes and stop makin' it so obvious that you want a piece of that ass." She whispered to Wally and pointed to Artemis, who was in a very compromising position at the edge of the pool with Zatanna.

Wally sputtered, "Raquel, I don't-"

"Don' even try, West, don' even," She laughed and cannonballed into the pool, splashing Zatanna and Artemis in the process. The two girls laughed and jumped in after Raquel calling out their revenge on her for getting them wet.

Smiling, the speedster popped a grape into his mouth and almost choked when his teeth crunched onto a seed, "Raquel!" He yelled, "The hell is this! You couldn't tell me that there were seeds in these?"

"I did!" She laughed, "But you were too busy doin' _other _things to pay attention to me."

"Ooh, what was he doing, Raquel?" Zatanna quirked her eyebrow and leaned on the edge of the pool.

Wally panicked; he had to stop it before the girl he liked heard that he was, in fact, undressing her with his eyes without her knowing. Before he even had a chance to tell her that he had feelings for her; he had to stop it and so he did just that.

Running at normal speed, Wally jumped into the pool, right in the middle of where the girls were lounging in the water smiling at him.

"Oh, he's dead," The archer said right before she tackled the speedster, pushing his head under the water. Wally came up for air with only just enough time to see Zatanna's laughing mug, then he was pushed back under the water a second time. Wally opened his eyes under the surface to see an olive stomach in front of his face, pushing him by his shoulders with her strong arms. Before he could even think, Wally's hands stretched across the planes of her flat stomach and lifted her into the air. When he came up for air he heard Artemis scream in surprise, he laughed and threw her into the deep end. She splashed into the water and when she came up for air the cutest glare was on her face.

"What? It's okay for you to hold me down under water, but once you get thrown in the deep end it's all over?" The redhead smirked and crossed his arms.

"No, that's not it," Her cheeks reddened.

"Then what is?" His eyebrow rose with curiosity. Then he saw it, bobbing up to the surface. A black piece of fabric with strings attached to it, "Oh my god! Did I do that?" Her top had actually come undone. Wally looked away to see Robin's face which was as red as a cherry. "Rob! You didn't see anything did you?" The boy wonder didn't say anything; for the first time in a long time, he was speechless. "Oh god! Artemis!"

"What?" She had tied her top back on and was now screaming at the speedster.

"You just ruined my best friend's virtue!" The redhead laughed, "He's thirteen, woman!"

"Oh my fucking fuck! It's not like I took my top off and decided to flash him, Kid _Flash_!" She threw her hands up and dove under the water.

Wally rolled his eyes and smirked, Robin has seen boobs, he works with the goddamn Batman; Robin has seen some weird stuff. The speedster and boy wonder glance at each other with a look that only best friends understand, the one that says, _just let me have this moment_. Robin closed his eyes and nodded in a sort of _go ahead _gesture.

When Artemis came up for air she was at the shallow end of the pool, "And just for your information," she climbed the steps, "Robin works with the Batman. He's seen some messed up shit," she tossed a look over her shoulder as she headed toward the hot tub where everyone seemed to be watching their little exchange; aside from M'gann and Kaldur who were sitting on the outside of the hot tub, "Which probably means that he has seen plenty of tits in all of his thirteen years."

Wally sputtered as a foam football hit his head and looked toward Robin who had this ridiculous smirk on his face, "You don't get to say anything," the redhead retrieved the football from the water.

Robin cackled and jumped into the deep end, retrieving the football that Wally threw at him as the boy wonder's feel lifted off of the ground. As they fist bumped, the redhead glanced at Artemis who gave them a smirk of approval for their amazing toss and retrieve.


	3. Thanksgiving

**This chapter has been changed to 3rd person recently. Totally better in my opinion!**

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><p><strong>The Cave<br>November 25, 11:16am**

Wally sat at on a stool that at the kitchen island one hand holding a cell phone to his ear the other stuffing cranberries into his mouth.

It took only three rings and the familiar rasp of a young blonde that he'd been thinking too much about came on the line, "Hey Megs."

Wally smiled, "Sweet cheeks is totally cooking up an amazing storm in this beautiful world class kitchen that the Batman has supplied to us."

There was a groan on the other line, "What do you want, Wally?"

"You ignored my call."

"Yeah. Well, you're annoying and I didn't want to hear your voice," The blonde said matter-of-factly.

Wally laughed, "Aww Arty, you know you love me."

"Wally," She actually said his name, "I'm asking you this once more, what do you want?"

Wally snorted, "Are you coming today?" He asked with a mouth full of cranberries.

The blonde huffed, "Wally, if I wanted to be at the Cave to see you stuff your face on Thanksgiving, I'd have been there already."

"She says she doesn't want to see me stuff my face today." Wally yelled to an inquiring M'gann.

"No one wants to see you stuff your face, Wally." Robin said as he walked up behind the speedster taking the phone in the process, "Hey Artemis."

Artemis smiled, "Your friend is an idiot."

Robin cackled, "Yeah, I know."

"I'm coming today, I'll just be there a little later; I'm making a desert so I'm waiting for it to finish setting." The blonde said as she held her phone between her shoulder and ear as she used both of her hands to check her creation.

Rob's smile widened, "Ooh, what is it?"

"It's a Vietnamese desert. You'll see it what I get there."

"Okay, then get here!"

She chuckled, "I will, I will! I'll see ya."

Rob smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I'll see you too," The boy wonder hung up the phone and placed it on the table.

"What was that?" Wally glared at his best bud and stuffed his mouth with another handful of cranberries.

"It was me," Rob pointed to himself, "getting Artemis," He pointed to the zeta tubes, "to come to the Cave for Thanksgiving."

The redhead rolled his eyes, "I was doing that just fine, thanks."

"Sure you were dude." Robin smiled and perched himself on the stool next to Wally.

The computerized voice of the zeta tubes announced the archer's designation and she appeared in the kitchen smiling at M'gann, "I figured you would be working like crazy in here, so I decided to make this at home." She placed two bowls on the counter and removed her jacket.

Wally swallowed as he stared at the blonde; she was wearing a yellow top that flowed. One of those tops that showed off everything, without showing off everything.

"Ooh!" A girly squeal came from the Martian, "You look cute!" M'gann clapped her hands and hugged Artemis.

"Cute? More like damn sexy," Zatanna smiled and shimmied at her before hugging her. Artemis smiled and hugged her right back.

Wally's eyebrows narrowed when his supposed best bud went up to the blonde and ran his hand up her fabric clad arm, "I like this, it's soft."

She smiled at him, "Thanks, Rob." She kissed his cheek and he looked straight at the speedster.

"_Dick_," Wally mumbled to Robin as he sat back down next to him and cackled.

"Alright," Wally stood and tossed a few berries into his mouth, "Who's in for some pre-Thanksgiving video games?"

"Me!" Rob and Artemis sang.

"Is Mario Cart still here? I like that game," Artemis asked Wally.

"Uh, yeah, I'm pretty sure," The redhead smiled at her.

"Awesome," She smiled back.

The speedster sat next to the archer, who sat next to the boy wonder, and played Mario Kart until Thanksgiving lunch was ready.

**The Cave**

**November 25, 12:58pm**

"So the cat, who we all thought was asleep in the living room, jumps up onto the table and starts eating the turkey," Everyone laughed as Wally threw his arms around wildly explaining a story from a past Thanksgiving at his uncle's house, "And then everyone started to go crazy and it somehow turned into a food fight," Wally paused and waited until the laughter died down, "And that's how we all ended up ordering pizza for Thanksgiving dinner seven years ago."

M'gann giggled, "Okay, well I think I'm ready for desert."

"Yes! Bring on the pie!" The speedster stood and collected the plates at top speed while M'gann flew the pies, ice cream and the desert that Artemis made onto the table.

"Wally, these are for you sense you told me you like these flavors," M'gann smiled and placed three pies in front of the redhead.

He smiled and dug in, "Mmm Megs! This is delicious! Pecan, pumpkin, and apple! You've really outdone yourself!"

"Thank you, Wally," The Martian blushed and tucked some hair behind her ear.

"Whoa! Artemis, this tastes really good! What's it called again?" Zatanna looked over at Artemis who was putting a piece of pecan pie on her plate.

"Oh, uh thanks. It's called Chè. It's Vietnamese," She smiled.

"What's in it?" Wally inquired with a full mouth.

"Please keep your mouth shut," Zatanna held up her hand at the speedster.

"It's a type of Vietnamese pudding, it's good and I put some bananas in it," Artemis looked down at her pie.

Wally grinned, "I like bananas."

"I bet you do, Baywatch," She smirked and took a bite of her pie and relished at the sight of Wally's cheeks and ears matching the color of his hair.

"Dude," Wally whispered as he elbowed a Robin who was taken over by fits of laughter, "Pass the Chè, please."

"Slow your roll, Baywatch. Here," Artemis handed Wally a different bowl, "This bowl is for you."

Wally smiled up at her with genuine surprise, "You made me my own bowl?"

Artemis looked away, "Well, you eat everything, and I didn't want you to droll in the other bowl. And I know that my Chè is amazing so, I just thought…yeah. That's yours," Her cheeks reddened a bit, "Just don't eat my bowl."


	4. Jealousy is a Danger

**A/N! So I'm changing the POV! I just got bored with just writing in Wally's POV. Plus 3rd person is so much more fun to write! =) I hope you like it! Tell me what you think! Oh and sorry this is so short...and really late...sorry. aldjfka;sdkj**

**The West Household: Wally's Bedroom  
>December 6, 3:45am<strong>

"Uhhhgg," Wally groaned as he threw himself onto his bed, phone against his ear. "Why would she possibly do that? I really don't think she understands how much I put my trust in her and she just goes and lies to me."

"Wally, I don't thin-"

"Seriously, Dick, who does she think she is? I had just told her earlier that she didn't have to prove herself to anyone. The she had made her place on the Team. And what does she do? She lies and pushes me away."

"Wally, listen to me!" Dick yelled over the phone.

"I'm listening," Wally put his phone on speaker and took his shirt off.

"You may not know the whole story," The speedster paused and stared at the phone, in his boxers, "her life…it's hers. She doesn't have to tell you everything," Wally heard a quirk in Dick's voice, "there may be more that's going on in her life. She-"

Wally pulled a pair of sweatpants up, "What do you know?"

"What? Nothi-"

"I know you, just like you know me. We're best buds for a reason, Dick. What do you know?" He pressed, even though he knew that Dick wouldn't budge.

"I'm just saying that you shouldn't look into things that you don't completely understand," Dick cackled, which informed Wally that his serious talk was over, "All I know is that she looks good topless."

"Dude!" Is all Wally has time to say before he heard the dial tone. He groaned and fell into his mattress, "I need food."

**The Crock Household: Artemis's Bedroom  
><strong>**December 6, 3:50am**

"Uhg!" Artemis collapsed face first on her bed, "Why am I so stupid?" The archer slammed her fists onto the old mattress and screamed into her pillow, "He finally admits that he trusts and that he respects you, and what do you do? You basically betray him."

"_Good job, baby girl." A low, raspy voice says in her ear, "Make him trust you. Make him believe you." _

_Artemis nods and smiles at the man infront of her and holds out her hand._

"_Now. Kill him."_

_The 12 year old girl squeezes his hand._

"_Kill him. Now!"_

_She stares into his eyes as she stabs him in the heart, his gurgled scream waking her up for the first time since her mom was arrested._

The blonde sat up with a start as the memory echoed in her mind, "God, fucking, damnit." Her fist hit the mattress for what seemed like the millionth time in her life. Her team phone rang, "Yeah?"

"Hey Artemis, it's Robin. I need your help with a mission."

**Haly's Circus: After the show  
><strong>**December 24, 8:49pm**

"Dude!" A pale hand clasped Robin's shoulder, "That was awesome!"

"Wally? What are you doing here?" Robin turned with a smile.

"Wanted to see my best bud at his finest. Also wanted to poke fun at Supey for wearing tights," Wally laughed at Superboy's narrowed eyes.

"Oh," Robin's hand went to the back of his neck, "Thanks."

"Man, you know I'm here for you," Wally whispered and smiled.

"Yeah, I know."

"Of course!" A feminine laugh sounded from Wally's left. He turned his head to see Artemis smiling at Roy his arm around her as two women stood to have their pictures taken with the two archers. The women thanked them and squealed as Roy winked at them. Artemis snorted and slapped Roy's arm, "Stop it."

Roy laughed as they walked over to the others, "What?"

"You're giving them false hope."

"Don't be jealous, **Diane**."

"I'm not and never will be, **Dane**."

Wally stared down at his shoes and glared.


	5. Lessons Learned

Teehee! =D That's all I have to say about this chapter. I'm a tease.

**The Cave: Weapon's Room  
><strong>**December 30, 4:14pm**

Artemis smiled to herself as she loaded up on arrows, in the weapons room, for their mission; the first mission where there would be no secrets between her and the team (sans Robin.)

A throat cleared, "Hey, Artemis, can I talk to you for a second?"

The blonde turned around to see Wally inspecting a practice bow, almost like he wanted to learn archery, "Did you want lessons or something?" She smirked.

"Uh, what? No. Well, maybe, but that's not what I wanted to talk about," his hand found the back of his neck, something the archer noticed as a nervous habit.

"I was just kidding, Baywatch," she laughed and pulled some of her tied up hair over her shoulder, "What's up?" She stroked a lock of gold.

"I just wanted to apologize…again. I was an a-"

"Wally, stop. Seriously. I was stupid in what I did," she took the practice bow in her hands and glared at it, "and you were right about me being insecure and selfish. I was scared that _you_ all wouldn't want me to be on the team, because of my family ties," Artemis suddenly looked into Wally's eyes, "Come on." She pulled him into the shooting room right next door, "I'll teach you a few tricks before I go say 'hi' to daddy." She laughed, "That was a sarcastic remark, you can laugh, Baywatch."

Wally smiled, "Sorry, just not used to you wanting to be around me. Just couldn't handle not touching the Wallman."

"Please _Wallman_, you know you're jumping with joy in that small head of yours, because you get to be near me."

Wally smirked, "Babe, there are a lot of things going on in my head right now, and you're doing a lot of them," Wally stepped closer to her.

Artemis gulped and stepped back, "Okay then, this is a bow."

"Wow. Good teaching, Arty."

"Don't call me that," she tried to glare, but it held no malice, "I assume, smart ass, that you know this is the bow string and you pull back on this to release the arrow," She demonstrated pulling the string and Wally nodded. "So you're going to stand up straight with your shoulders relaxed, yeah like that. But at a right angle to the target, so here," Artemis maneuvered his feet in the right position. "Put your arrow in place, like this," She demonstrated where his fingers should go, "Extend your bow arm, draw the bow, aim and release the arrow."

Wally released and the arrow missed the target by a lot, "Wow, you're a great teacher, Artemis. Really, I hit that target perfectly-Ouch!"

Artemis lowered the hand that she used to slap him in the back of the head with, "That's not what this lesson was about, it's not about hitting the target. Using a bow and arrow is about control, having the control to point wherever you want, however far it may be. Using a bow and arrow is all about patience and discipline," Then she shot an arrow through the practice wood.

"Well, we all can't be as special as you, Arty." Wally stepped up to her and pulled the bow away from her face to where it was between their chests.

"I'm nothing special, Wally," her eyes fell to watch his hands on the bow, right by hers, his pinky overlapping hers.

Wally moved in closer, "I think you're pretty amaz-"

"We are ready when you are, Artemis-" the archer and speedster pulled apart, "Oh, I am sorry for interrupting anything-"

"No, no you weren't Kaldur! I was just teaching Wally some archery skills, which he doesn't have." She smiled over at the Atlantan.

Kaldur's eyebrow raised, "Okay then, let us depart," he turned and walked out of the door.

"Yes, Baywatch, let's," Artemis smiled and hit Wally's backside with the bow.

"Gurl!" Wally mocked and poked her in the stomach various times before running out to the Bioship.


	6. Hey Big Boy

Sorry this is like super short...I wanted to leave it at this...but there will be more next time! =)

**The Crock Household: Artemis' Bedroom  
><strong>January 2<strong>**

"So," Zatanna drawled out the 'o,' "has he asked you to be his girlfriend yet?" The young mage asked as she bent to finish polishing her toenails.

"Nope," Artemis didn't look up from the arrow she was attempting to put together.

"I should go talk to him. He should at least say something to you," Zatanna sat up, "Yup I'm gonna go talk to him about it."

"Zee, stop it! Come on! It's been a day! We're still cleaning up this mess that the mission left us in."

"He's had plenty of time to talk to you! Robin and I have already gone on excursions!"

"Zatanna," Artemis looked up from her work, "Making out in the utility closet in the West training room doesn't count as an excursion."

"It's not the West, it's the East. Now I know where your mind is!" She laughed when a pillow hit the back of her head.

A minute later the archer's phone beeped with a text message, but it wasn't her hand that grabbed hold of the cell phone first.

"Ooh! What's this? A message from," Zatanna gasped obnoxiously, "Baywatch!" She looked up from the phone, "cute, nickname bases I see," Artemis rolled her eyes and held out her hand, "Ah-ah-ahhh," She tapped the screen to read it, "_Hey Blondie, _super cute nickname. You're like the Rapunzel to his Flynn Ryder, if ya know what I mean," She winked, "_I was just wondering if you had any plans for tonight? _Ooh he wants it in the pants!"

"Zee, I have deadly weapons in my hands," Zatanna nodded and typed out an answer and pressed send, "What did you write?" Artemis asked nonchalantly, knowing that it would be nothing bad, because Zatanna usually would answer her texts for her anyway.

"I said, _Nothing much, just thinking about you, big boy._" Artemis's eyes widened, "Oh and I added a wink face!"

"Zatanna!" Artemis knocked her arrows over to retrieve her phone and tapped furiously on the screen.

"What'cha doing?" The girl asked as she touched her toenails to make sure they were dry. The blonde held up her finger as she placed the phone to her ear., "You're really calling him? Wow, you have it bad."

Artemis rolled her eyes, "Hey Baywatch." She paused, "NO! That was Zatanna!" She smiled, "Shut up. No I don't," Artemis laughed and turned her back to the magician, "Yeah, she's over here," Pause, "Yeah, why?" She turned to back to look at Zatanna with a smirk on her face and bent to pick up the girl's shoes from her floor, "Yeah, how long?" Artemis threw the shoes at her and held her laugh in when Zatanna made a face of mock hurt, "Okay, bye," And she hung up.

"What was that all about? And why do I have to put my shoes on?"

"You're leaving now, bye!" Artemis lifted her oversized Gotham Academy sweatshirt over her head and walked to her closet.

"Why am I leaving? I don't have to be anywhere."

"Because," the blonde tugged on a flowing red top, "I'm not going to be here."

"Where are you going? And can't I just stay here with your mom? I like her; she makes good food and tells funny stories."

"I'm going somewhere with a speedster and no, you can't stay with my mom. That's strange," Artemis slipped on a pair of gray converse and smeared some eyeliner on her eyes.

"Oh! Okay, but call me when you get home and tell me everything, because I need to know! You guys are like my OTP!"

"Your what now?"

"OTP. One True Pairing," Artemis lifted an eyebrow as she shrugged her leather jacket on, "Like how you want Damon and Elena to be together on Vampire Diaries. I want you and Wally to be together! Well me and Rob…and Meg, Kon, Raquel, and well okay Kal doesn't say anything about it, but I'm like 98 percent sure he wants to catch you guys making out in a utility closet; same with Canary."

"I hate all of you."

"Love you too, babe!" Zatanna kissed Artemis' cheek, "I better get a phone call later tonight or I'm sneaking in and sleeping in your bed until you get home!"

"Why did I show you where I live!? Why?!" Artemis left with a goodbye hug to her mom stating she was going out with a friend.

Zatanna turned and winked saying something along the lines of, _soon to be boyfriend_ and was forced out of the house.


	7. School Functions

**Central City  
><strong>January 2, 6:22pm<strong>**

A young redheaded man leaned against a 1993 black Mustang with a grin of triumph on his freckled face. His foot, crossed over his ankle, tapped furiously on the sidewalk as he placed his cell phone into his jacket pocket. He stood up straight and placed his gloved hands into his pockets as a bright light shone through the cracks of a port-o-potty at the end of a suburban street.

A blonde girl, about his age, stepped out of the door and rolled her eyes, "Really Baywatch? That's so gross."

The redhead laughed, "Hey, it's been there since before I became Kid Flash!"

"Sure, sure. Then next thing you'll tell me is you didn't get to pick your own uniform colors," She smiled.

"Aww come on, Arty, you know I did," He smirked and opened his arms in hopes of a hug.

The blonde rolled her eyes and stepped into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his middle, "Don't call me that."

He let go all too fast, for her opinion, "So, you ready?"

"Uh, yeah…where are we going?"

He smiled and opened the passenger door to the Mustang, "You'll see."

Her cheeks tinted pink, he didn't know whether it was from the snow or him, and she gave a small smile and whispered, "Thanks."

**Keystone High  
><strong>**January 2, 6:40pm**

"So, a high school? Oh god, don't tell me we're going to some school dance thing…" The girl looked terrified.

"Awwe, Artemis, I'm sure you're a great dancer!" Wally laughed and parked.

"Oh my god, please, Wally, I don't do dances," Artemis looked at him like a deer in the headlights.

"Relax, Blondie, It's a winter festival. The rides are set up on the football field in the back," She heard him say in her open passenger door; she didn't even realize he had left the driver's seat.

"Wally!" She exclaimed, "You shouldn't be using your powers out in the open like that."

He laughed, "There's no one around. This thing started at like noon," He extended his hand out to her, "Now come on! I want to do all the rides before they close up for the night!"

"So," Artemis started as Wally locked the car doors, "why do you have a school festival in the middle of winter?"

Wally looked down at their still connected hands, "The kind that's awesome?"

Artemis raised an eyebrow and snorted as they walked through the school's front doors, "So this is the Wallman's school. Very…uh, like TV show-ish."

"I know. I swear they got the idea off of Saved by the Bell or Boy Meets World."

"Wallace Rudolph West!" A wild blur of brown hair attack-hugged the speedster, tearing him from Artemis' hand.

"Pegs!" He laughed.

"Hola! How are you? Who is this? Where in the world have you been? You were supposed to come to the New Year's party at the cabin, but you didn't! I'm angry at you for that," The girl said all in one rush of breath.

Wally smiled, "Hi Peggy, I'm good. This is Artemis," his arm wrapped around Artemis' waist, "I have been busy, I had a science thing to go to and my mom wanted me home this year to ring in the new year. I'm sorry that you're angry, we'll have another party at your cabin."

"Can Artemis come?" Peggy smiled at the archer.

"I don't know, ask her. I'm sure she-"

"Hey there Walls!" A boy with light blonde hair slapped his hand on the redhead's back.

"Oh, hey James. Olivia." He smiled at a girl who stood at James' side holding a camera, her features identical to his, "This is Artemis."

Olivia smiled at the blonde, "Hey, nice to meet you."

"You too," was all Artemis got out before she felt the presence of a person beside her. She didn't have to look to calculate that it was male, about six feet tall, and had muscles; which meant he was probably a football player.

"Hey babe," Peggy walked up to him and kissed his cheek.

"Aww man! Pegs! I was gonna play this girl here!"

"Man I'm sure Wally wouldn't be too happy about you playing his girl," a low voice said behind Artemis. She instantly saw Olivia blush at the sound of his voice, "Hey, I'm Dalton and this idiot is Erik."

Artemis turned around to see what she expected was right, but it was two boys. They both had dark brown hair and bright gray eyes, "My god, is this place full of twins or something?"

Everyone laughed and Wally grabbed her hand, "No, just my friends."

"This is so strange," Artemis looked up at him.

"What?" Wally smiled.

"That you have friends."

Everyone laughed again, "Yup. I like her," Peggy linked her arm through Artemis' and started walking, "So, Wally tells us you're from Gotham. That's true?"

"Uh, yeah…" She looked at Wally confused; usually you wouldn't tell people you were from a completely different state just to go to a school function.

"They know _a lot_ about me and a little about you," he squeezed her hand.

Artemis nodded, "Oh…okay. Yeah I live in Gotham."

"Wow! Is it really that bad?"

"Oh my god, Peggy!" Olivia whispered, "Why would you ask that?"

Artemis laughed. "No, it's fine. Gotham is bad. Don't go there. You all would probably be mugged in like 2 hours, especially you," she pointed to Olivia, "no offence. You're like the tiniest thing in the world."

"She's like a scared cat most of the time," Peggy laughed and slapped Olivia's butt.

Olivia squeaked and snapped a picture of the ride lights as they walked through the school's back doors and into a field.

"I think Dalton would fare a little better than these guys here," Wally pointed to the brunette behind him.

"And why's that?" The archer moved closer to Wally for warmth.

"He's got a black belt in Karate."

"Really…" Artemis' eyebrow rose.

"Oh gosh, Wally, what did you do?" Dalton laughed and looked at Artemis, "Please, don't challenge me or something."

"I just might have to," Artemis laughed at Dalton's weary expression, "Dalton, are you scared of me?"

"Not of you…just what you can probably do," He smiled.

"Good. You better be," Artemis stuck her tongue out at him and everyone laughed.

* * *

><p>So, this is a little longer. It's kinda like the first part of 2 or 3...? I don't know how long I'll make this date...It depends on how I feel. But I've been creating how Wally's friends would be and I don't think they'd be all dorks like some people have been writing them...I really think they'd be "normal" because Wally seems like a really sociable guy. =) Peggy and Erik are dating, so before people start hating on her for disrupting the Spitfire don't. Because I like my OC. =) I have also kinda based Wally's friends after some of my friends...so yeah...they're pretty chill people! And even one of them has a Tumblr! The first one to guess gets to have their URL mentioned in the next chapter!<p> 


	8. Silent Words

**Keystone High  
>January 2, 8:01pm<strong>

The sound of screaming could be heard all over, but unlike most of the situations she had been in this screaming was for joy. Artemis Crock had been to a carnival once. Her mother had taken Jade and her to one on the North side of Gotham a few weeks before her accident and arrest. Lawrence, her father, even showed up half way through. Artemis still has the bear from which he won by swinging the hammer so it would ring the bell. She had cotton candy and lemonade it was one of the few times her father would allow her junk food, because a Crock never eats unhealthy.

Artemis smiled at the carnie who held the gate for the Music Express as she stepped onto the metal platform to sit in one of the carts. Wally grabbed her hand and led her to a bright yellow cart-he really did have a problem-and went in first so he wouldn't squish her as the ride spun. She connected her side of the seat belt with his and brought the bar down over their laps. Wally's arm snaked around her and she looked up at him with a smile on her face as the ride started to slowly spin.

Wally West has been going to this school festival since he can remember. His mom had always volunteered at the high school; whether it be making lemonade or spinning cotton candy. This year, however, his mother had her own pizza stand; Mary's pizzas are the best pizzas. Even if he could break the sound barrier, Wally West loved spinning, twirling, and swirling rides. He looked to his right as Artemis started to crash into his side. He saw her eyes fill with laughter and innocence; they had done this ride enough times to work out the arrangement that was her hair. He honestly couldn't remember a time in the five months that he's known her where he's seen her, this full of joy. Her arms rose above her head and she yelled out a, whoop, as the conductor told them to scream.

Artemis laughed and grabbed onto Wally's arm as they exited the ride, "I swear that gets better and better every time."

Wally laughed, "I think the conductor guy does the ride longer whenever you are on it."

"Now why would he do that, Wallace Rudolph West?"

"Because, look at you. And I'm going to kill Peggy for screaming my name out like that," he waved to some girl in braids.

"Look at you Wallman! How do all of these girls know you?"

"Obviously it's my good looks and charm."

Artemis looked up at him and laughed, "Baywatch, you have as much charm as Superboy."

The hand that Artemis wasn't clinging to slapped his chest in mock pain, "Oh, you wound me, Arty."

Artemis looked around and realized that they were in the food and other things section of the festival, "Wally where are we going?"

"Right here," He smiled at her as he pointed right ahead of them to a booth that was selling pizzas.

They walked up to the booth and Artemis smiled at a redheaded woman who was putting some money into an apron, "Of course you'd be hungry."

Wally smiled and pulled his arm away from her to hug the redhead and that's when Artemis saw it. The same hair, freckles and bright green eyes, "Mom," he spoke, "this is Artemis," The smile in his eyes spoke words he couldn't out loud.

"Oh," the woman grinned and lifted her apron over her head, "Hi sweetheart!" She came out from behind the booth and hugged the blonde, "I'm Mary, it's so nice to finally meet you!"

"Oh, um…" Artemis smiled shyly, she wasn't really expecting to meet Wally's mom today, "nice to meet you too."

"Mom," Wally whined, "Stop being so embarrassing!"

"Wallace, I was just saying hi. Go get some pizza for you and Artemis from Iris," Mary smiled at Artemis and reached behind the counter for her apron, "Artemis honey," she reached into the pocket and grabbed out a five dollar bill, "Go over to the lemonade stand right there and get you and Wally some drinks from Mrs. Riley she's the one with the dark brown hair. Tell her Marry sent you." Artemis took the money and nodded.

When the archer arrived back at the booth a moment later, Wally was gone, "Uh, Mrs. West, where did Wally go?"

Mary looked at her with amusement, " Didn't I tell you to call me Mary?"

"Sorry," Artemis bit her lip.

Mary smiled, "He just went into the cafeteria; come I'll take you to him," She leaned back for a plate with six slices of pizza stacked, "He probably ate yours."

"Um, I don't think I'll be able to finish all of those…"

Mary laughed, "Oh no, sweetie! Two are for you the others are for him."

"Oh," Artemis laughed, "makes sense."

They arrived in a cafeteria that was filled with many people who occupied circular tables; one table was taken by a mess of red hair. When they neared the table they saw that Mary was indeed right, Wally had eaten his pizza and Artemis's, "Sorry, I tried to wait for you."

"Wally, I was gone for like two minutes."

* * *

><p>So wasn't that fun! Who else has ridden the Music Express!? That was like my favorite ride as a kid! My middle school used to have a festival each year that my friends dad would set up, because he owed a carnival ride business! It was awesome!<p> 


	9. Highs and Lows

**Keystone High: Cafeteria**

**January 2, 8:40pm**

A satisfied groan escaped Wally's lips as he leaned back in his seat, patting his stomach, "My god! I really do love my mother."

"That really was the most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed in my whole life," Artemis stated as she picked a peperoni off of one of her _two _slices of pizzas that she had yet to eat.

"What are you talking about? I ate it like a normal person!" Wally sat up in his seat and placed both hands on the table.

"Wally! You ate those in less than 5 minutes!" The archer smirked as she took a bite of a slice that was now rid of peperoni's. "Oh stop staring and just eat them already!" She gestured to the discarded peperoni's and rolled her eyes at the smiling redhead.

"You could have just told my mom that you don't like peperoni's. She would have given you just cheese," He said through chewing.

"Mouth closed, Wallace!" Peggy bounded to the table and kissed his cheek.

Wally opened his mouth and showed her the contents on his tongue, "You know you love it Pegs!"

"Stop!" Artemis slapped the back of his head and handed her plate of half of a pizza to him.

"Have I mentioned how much I like her?" Erik sat across from Wally and winked at Artemis, "Hey, baby."

Artemis groaned, "Please tell me I don't have two Wally's on my hands."

Peggy grinned, "At least you don't have to deal with them in a school setting! Erik likes to hit on teachers and Wally's most famous question is, 'is it edible?'"

Artemis smiled and looked across the cafeteria as Erik started to tell a story about something or another. She watched as Dalton came up behind Olivia who was taking pictures of different tables of people. The small girl jumped in surprise and smiled at the boy shyly. The archer leaned into Wally and asked, "So what's with them?"

"Who?" The Speedster asked as he ate the remainder of Peggy's spaghetti.

"Olivia and Erik's brother. Are they dating?"

"My brother wishes he was dating Olivia," Erik smiled, "He's just way too much of a pussy to ask her out."

"And Olive is way too shy to tell Dalton that she likes him," Wally laughed, "But we all see it and Erik and I are always telling Dalton to ask Olivia out or to just one day start holding her hand, but he just doesn't."

"Why doesn't he just, I don't know, pick her up and kiss her?" Artemis smirked at Wally.

"Uh maybe because he's not as cool as me?" The redhead placed his hand on her knee.

"Who's not as cool as you?" Dalton walked up, Olivia's camera hanging around his neck so he looked like a tourist.

"You're not as cool as Wally, apparently," Artemis smiled and laced her fingers with Wally's.

"You're right. I'll just have to become a ginger and lose my soul," At that moment Olivia took hold of her camera and snapped a picture of the table which held everyone laughing at a table to face Wally.

"Aww, his ego is hurt," Artemis lay her head on Wally's shoulder and patted his back, "Poor Baywatch."

"Artemis, is that perfume you're wearing called sarcasm?" Wally's voice was muffled from the table.

"Actually it's 'Sensual Amber,'" The archer rasped loudly in Wally's ear.

His eye peaked up at her and she cocked an eyebrow.

"Seriously, that's what it's called!" And everyone laughed.

**Wally's Car**

**January 2, 10:11pm**

"Highs and lows?" Wally asked as he turned out of the school parking lot.

"What is that?" Artemis asked.

"Oh, it's something that my family does. When we're leaving from a place we talk about our highs for the day and our lows for the day on the car ride home," He sneaked a look at her and smiled, "Here, I'll start. My low of the night was being called a soulless ginger and being laughed at."

Artemis laughed, "That's your low?"

"What! You're so mean to me!" Wally tried and failed to laugh, "So, Miss Thing, what was your low of the night?"

"Um…let's see, I think maybe when the Carnie at the balloon toss was hitting on me when you left to go to the bathroom."

"Uhhg he was so gross!" The speedster parked the car.

"But you did scare him shitless when you came up and put your arm around me."

"That was spectacular," Wally said in Artemis's open door.

"I swear, stop with the super speed in plain sight stuff."

Wally smiled as Artemis grabbed onto her hand as she stood from the car, "So, what about your high?"

They walked to the zeta tube hands together, "Uh," Artemis looked down and smiled, "I guess, just the normality of it all. We've been fighting crime and fighting our own demons a lot this past year that I guess we never stop and remember that we're only teenagers. And I guess that seeing the Wall-man in his natural habitat was nice too."

Wally smiled and faced the blonde, his arms outstretched. Artemis wove her arms around to Wally's shoulder blades and buried her face in his jacket, the smell of leather, Irish soap, and cinnamon filled her senses.

"So," The blonde started as she grasped the front of Wally's jacket, "What about our high of the night?"

The speedster's hands found Artemis's waist, "Hmm, there were a lot of good things that happened. I think the best was spending time with you."

Artemis chuckled, "Don't you think that's a tad corny."

Wally's eyes closed and his forehead fell gently against the blonde's, "Not as corny as this," His hands found her face and their lips connected in a soft and sweet kiss. It was neither long nor short or too hard nor too soft, it was just perfect; a perfect goodnight kiss.

When they came apart Wally gave a slight laugh, "That was the best part of my night."

"So corny," Artemis backed out of Wally's arms, "But I like it," She opened the door and stepped through. The nasally computerized voice spoke her designation as the bright light beamed through the cracks of the port-o-potty.

The speedster's arm shot in the air above his head in a fist pump as he let out a whoop. He took his phone from his pocket and sent a quick text.

**Waldo (10:32pm): **_I'm in deep man._

**Dude (1:16am): **_Told you so._

*****************************  
>AN<p>

So I like this chapter. And I totally ship my OCs. Dalton and Olivia 5eva.

Uh...if you didn't guess.

Waldo is what Wally is called in Dick's phone.

Dude is what Dick is called in Wally's phone.


	10. School's In For The Spring!

Ooooh kayyyy! I'M SORRY! I JUST...THERE'S NO EXCUSE...I don't know how to update on a regular basis...But I still love you all for keeping up with my terrible updating habits! Anyway I'm going to be editing some of the beginning chapters and making them third person, because lets face it...those first few chapters are basically shit...Well, happy reading!

* * *

><p><strong>The Crock Household<br>****January 2, 10:20pm**

When Artemis arrived home she threw her house keys on the kitchen table and placed her jacket over the back of the nearest chair. She walked down to her mom's room and checked on her, the woman was sleeping soundly in her bed with the light still on and a Vietnamese novel lying on her stomach. Artemis smiled and shut out the light by the switch and closed the door. Knowing full well not to touch the book for fear of her own life, because even if her mother doesn't have use of her legs she can still throw things very well and she is an easy waker. The blonde washed her face and brushed her teeth before retiring to her room for some much needed sleep. When she opened her bedroom door she wasn't that much surprised to find a certain magician laying on her bed with Artemis's copy of _The Scarlet Letter_ in her pale hands.

"Well, it's about time!" Zatanna sat up and placed the book, still open and bending the spine, on the nightstand, "What did you do? Did you kiss again? Was it magical?" She asks as she let a small spark of twinkling magic come from her fingertips.

The archer raises a dark eyebrow and plucked the bended book up, closing it before placing it back on the nightstand, "First, how did you get in my house? Second, we went to his school carnival. Third, what if we did and what if it was? And last, I hate it when my books are bent at the spine."

The mage let out a snort that sounded oddly like the word priss and smiled, "So you kissed. This is great! Did he ask you to be his girlfriend, yet? Because that would be the best thing in the world! Plus I would win the bet, but that doesn't need to be discussed right at this moment." Zatanna grinned like a lioness and folded her legs underneath her and patted her hand on the purple sheets, "Sit! I want every detail! You're not going to sleep until I get them all!"

Artemis smiled, "Can I change first?"

"Yes, as long as you do a dance while you're taking your clothes off." Zatanna winked.

Artemis rolled her eyes and changed into sweatpants and a tank; she may or may not have wiggled her butt at the mage as she rummaged through her pajama drawer. When she was done she made Zatanna scoot over to the wall side of her bed and she climbed in after her, pulling the blankets up to her chin and rolling on her side to see the other girl in the dark, "So, this is what happened..."

* * *

><p><strong>Keystone High<br>Monday, January 12, 9:10am**

Wally West was Kid Flash, is Kid Flash and Kid Flash is a kid no more. He's sixteen practically a man, nothing could bring a man down and nothing could certainly bring Kid Flash down. So in turn nothing could bring Wally West down. At least that was what Wally West thought exactly one hour and thirty minutes ago, before he entered this accursed building full of tests and jocks and teachers. Wally West was a tired child again, he just wanted to go home or eat some pie, definitely eat some pie...all of the pie. Wally looked up at the ceiling of his American Literature class which had some paintings on the tiles of book covers that past students painted as gifts to his current teacher, Mrs. Bailey. He suddenly felt a buzz in his pocket and fished it out and slid the lock to reveal a text from one blonde beauty.

**Arty (9:16am) **_"So I got up a little later and I wasn't able to eat breakfast before I got to school."_

Wally smiled and texted back looking at the time on his phone, only 4 more minutes until he got out of American Lit and on to third period Chemistry to do the science that he loves, well even if it was "baby science.

* * *

><p><strong>Gotham Academy<br>Monday, January 12, 7:15am**

Artemis Crock was getting used to this school, she really was. She made herself known as the girl you could come to with language homework questions, but not the girl you could come to if you wanted to use the "love language" on her. Artemis Crock was glad to be back at school, she actually liked learning different things; broadening her horizons. She smiled at Bette as her phone dinged next to her pancakes.

**Baywatch (7:16am)** _"LOL do u need me 2 run over there and give u something 2 eat ;)"_

Artemis laughed and sent, _"It's a good thing that good old Gotham Academy provides all types of meals for its students!" _After the message sent she stood and took a quick picture of the food selection and sent that one to Wally as well.

"Artemis, I never took you for the "hipster, takes photos of food" type." Bette smiled.

"Oh, I am. I also love dresses and the color pink. I would also love to be in the Alpha Gamma sorority at Julliard when I graduate high school with all honors!" She finished with a flip of her pony tail.

"Shut up and eat your pancakes, Crock." Barbra chucked a napkin at the blonde.

"Who are you texting, Artemis?"

"Shut up, Grayson." Artemis slapped the freshman's hand away from her phone as it sounded off again.

"You should probably put that on silent before the first bell goes off so you don't forget and get caught," Dick smiled.

The blonde smiled and quickly tapped away at her phone so she could played some music off of it. When she did she turned it up loudly and said, "Fuck the police!"

Barbra snorted and Dick chuckled, Bette on the other hand seemed offended, "Artemis! Stop!" The girl snatched the phone and turned the music off and flipped the switch to silence the ringer and she handed the phone back to the laughing blonde, "By the way Dick, she's texting someone by the name of Baywatch."

Dick snorted, "Baywatch? Now I gotta see this."

"I swear to fucking god Grayson, if you don't fucking move your fucking puny head out of my fucking space I will kick your fucking ass all the back to the fucking Wayne manor and I'll make your fucking butler clean up the fucking mess."

Dick placed his head on his hand and smirked, "Say fuck again."

Artemis smirked and mimicked his pose; her gray eyes alight with laughter, "Fuck."

Dick laughed, "I do this out of love, you know that?"

The bell rang, signaling that they had ten minutes to get to their first period classes, "No, I'm not sure you do," she smiled as she stood and texted a witty comment back to Wally.

* * *

><p><strong>The Cave<br>Monday, January 12, 4:00pm**

"Wally, can you not?" Artemis pushed at the boy's head that had fallen atop her lap and over her AP Calculus homework.

"What?" The redhead smiled up at her, "I'm bored, Arty! Entertain me!"

Artemis quirked an eyebrow and flicked his forehead, "Let me finish my AP Calc homework and then we can go get something to eat."

Wally sat up with a grin and turned to face the archer, "I like food!"

Artemis retrieved her pencil and began her work again, "I know."

Not even five minutes in Kid Flash asked, "So, how many more problems do you have?"

Artemis huffed and continued to work out the problem, "Ten."

Wally's jaw dropped with a groan, "You've been sitting here on this stupid green couch for an hour, Artemis! An hour! How many have you done exactly?"

The blonde looked up with a storm in her eyes, "Ten." When Wally groaned again she smiled crookedly, "Hey, we're all not speedy-minded like you are, Wall-Man."

"Which is why," Wally straightened and grinned at her, "You should let me do some problems for you!" She blinked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Oh come on, Arty!" She rolled her eyes and looked back down at her work, "You obviously know what you're doing! You're like perfect at math! You'll just have lesser problems to do!" The redhead threw out his hands for emphasis.

Artemis looked up from her work with a smug smile, "Okay!"

Wally grinned, "Really?"

The blonde dropped her smile and snorted, "No."

The redhead's face fell as he sank down into the green couch once more. The archer smiled and patted his head as she finished one of her problems. And not one of them mentioned the fact that her hand stayed there, running her calloused fingers through his wind-whipped hair as he slept for another hour as she finished the rest of her ten math problems.


	11. Paralysis

I knowwwwww I'M JUST SO BUSY! I had part of this written in August...Well...sorry for the long wait...I hope that you all are still with me...Wow I'm a terrible person...

* * *

><p><strong>Undisclosed Drop-off Location<strong>

**Friday, February 13, 5:13pm**

"_Artemis to team,_" The blonde archer spoke through the mind link, "_Are you guys there? Is the link even established anymore?_"

Breathing heavily, and clutching at a deep cut on her bicep, Artemis moved through the thick forest foliage trying to find where the team last stood together. Batman sent her, M'gann, Wally and Robin to some strange location, in some strange forest, to investigate some strange findings; but no it couldn't go easy for the team, just this once. Robin had disappeared with Wally to find something secret that Batman only told Robin to find, typical; while she and M'gann circled to find any threats. There had been movement in the forest below and Artemis had dropped down from the Bioship to see what it was, and that was when she was ambushed by Klarion and his stupid cat. He had blasted the bioship out of range and the cat, which had turned into a tiger, attacked Artemis. Which is why she was now marching through a forest with a bleeding arm and a scrunched up face.

With a huff Artemis sat on the trunk of a fallen tree to wrap the ever growing cut on her bicep. She heard a groan as she finished tying the gauze that she had found in her first aid pouch. She focused her attention to her right as she saw a small movement; pulling an arrow from her quiver and latching it onto the bowstring, Artemis crept to where the movements were coming from. A pained groan escaped from under a fallen tree and Artemis detached the arrow from the bowstring and placed it back into her quiver.

"Kid Flash?" Artemis called out to a sliver of red hair.

"Artemis...please help," Wally's voice barely whispered out.

Artemis ran as soon as her name escaped his lips, "Oh Wally," She whispered as she moved branches and leaves from the tree and off of the fallen speedster, "Hey, are you okay? What happened to you?"

"Artemis, I can't feel my legs," The speedster tried to move.

"Okay, okay, don't move. I don't want you to move your neck okay? I don't need you to be damaging anything else right now," Artemis swallowed fear down her throat and pressed her hands over the speedster's neck to find any broken parts, "Tell me if something hurts or if something doesn't feel right."

Wally grunted, "I don't feel anything wrong."

"Does that mean that you don't feel anything, because you can't feel anything or because your neck isn't messed up?"

"My neck isn't messed up, Artemis. I ran into Ivy and she stuck my legs with something."

Artemis moved to help Wally who was pushing himself up by his arms, "What did she stick you with? And where?"

"I don't know, some vine wrapped around my legs and there were thorns on it that I guess had poison on them."

Artemis leaned the red head against a tree trunk and ran her hands over his legs, poking and prodding in pressure points, "Do you feel any of this?"

Wally swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing, "No," His voice caught, "I can't. Artemis, I can't feel my legs," He breathed fast.

"Wally," Artemis looked up at his face, "Hey, hey. You need to calm down. You're hyperventilating," She placed her hands on his shoulders, "Wally, come on now," Breathing and rolling her eyes, Artemis slapped Wally's cheek, "Kid Flash, stop."

Wally gulped and nodded, "Sorry, sorry."

"Listen, I know this is freaking you out, because you're legs are like the most important thing you've got going on, but you need to be calm and refrain from freaking out."

He looked into stormy eyes and breathed in and out deeply, "Okay," He swallowed and found Artemis's hand with his own, "Can you just give me a hug for a second, I think, I just need a hug."

Artemis rose an eyebrow and nodded. Settling her arms around his shoulders, Artemis leaned her head in the crook of his neck.

Wally's arms came around her waist, "What if this is permanent?" His chin dug into her shoulder, "What if I have to go the rest of my life feeling the urge to run and I just won't be able to?" His arms tightened, "What if I have to watch my kids grow up from a wheelchair?" His hands gripped at her skin and Artemis's heart lurched as she thought of her mother, "What if-" His words were muffled by full lips against his own. The kiss was urgent and messy, her teeth clanged into his and there was a sticky taste of blood from her split lip, but it was their third kiss and it was amazing.

She leaned away, pressing her forehead against his, her hands cupping his face, "Wally, you will be okay. If it comes to those things, you'll press through it. Stephen Hawking once said, '_Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change_' and you're so smart, Wally. You blew up your house when you were thirteen, because you wanted to be like the Flash.," She smiled, the dirt on her face cracking, "You will be fine, we just have to take this one step at a time," Artemis looked away from Wally and gave a snort, "You know, if you will be able to take any steps in the future."

Wally's mouth fell open, "Artemis!"

The blonde's nose scrunched and she laughed, "I'm sorry, sorry. That was bad. You're going to be fine. I'm sure it just has some paralyzing effect. It'll wear off..." She snorted, "Eventually."

"Why are you always so cruel to me?"

Artemis's playful smile turned sour as she focused her gaze behind her shoulder, "Shh," She shifted one knee to the ground, turning her back to Wally, she notched an arrow onto her bow; lifting her arms into position she scanned the surrounding area, "Here," Artemis pulled at her crossbow and handed it to Wally, "I'm going to look around. Don't get yourself killed."

Wally nodded at her, but she was already gone, stepping soundlessly across the forest floor. Sighing, the speedster set the crossbow on his lap and began to poke at his legs. His fingers spidered to the backs of his knees where he felt a sticky substance, pulling his hand up to his face he saw that his gloves were covered in blood.

"It was just a panther," Wally squeaked as Artemis dropped from a tree.

"Sheesh, don't do stuff like that," He cracked his neck.

Artemis smirked as she crouched beside him, "Did I scare the Wallman?"

"No! I could have shot you with your own crossbow!"

"Wally, it was sitting on your lap the whole time I was gone."

"Were you watching me?"

Artemis rolled her eyes, "Anyway, I found this abandoned outpost not too far from here." She secured the crossbow onto her person, "And I really think that we should get you somewhere that's a little more safe. At least until you're, ya know, able to walk again."

"Speaking of me, I think I might have found the problem. It's on the backs-"

"-Of your knees, yeah. I know. I felt it when I was assessing you."

Wally's eyebrow shot up in his mask as he glared at her, "Uh, how are you gonna get me to this place?"

"I'm gonna carry you, duh."

"I don't think that'll work."

"Why…?"

"You're you," Wally pointed at Artemis, "And I'm me," He finished with pointing at himself.

"Wallace Rudolph West, I know you're not saying what I think you're saying."

"Artemis, I'm just saying-"

"No, stop. You and I both lift the same amount of weights."

Wally opened his mouth to say something.

"No, don't say anything else or I'll leave you here without a crossbow. Just put your arms around my neck and I'll lift you," Wally secured his arms around the archer and she pushed off the ground with her legs, "One, two, three," She grunted on the last number as she stood, "My god, Kid Hefty. Did you eat all of Minnesota?"

"'_You and I both lift the same amount of weights.'_" Wally pitched his voice higher.

Artemis backed him into a tree.

"Ouch!" Wally rubbed at his head

"Whoops! I'm so, super sorry, Sir Wal-Mart."

"Yeah, whatever, Miss Cock."

The more they moved through the forest, the more Artemis breathed heavily. When they reached the outpost, Artemis dropped him, not too gently, on the ground and barred the door. She pulled a clay arrow out from her quiver and shot it at the door to hold it against anyone that might attack. Huffing she turned toward the speedster, she dropped her bow and watched as Wally's biceps bulged through his uniform as he lifted himself up onto a bench. Sighing, Artemis trudged over and helped him settle in his seat.

Artemis sighed, "Okay, let's take a look at those thorns."

Wally's eyebrows wrinkled, "You sure you're not too tired? You can rest."

"Oh shut up, Wally. Stop acting like you're grater than me. We're the same."

"No, Artemis, it's not that. It's just that your arm," He pointed toward her bicep, "It's really bleeding, a lot."

Looking at her arm she shrugged, "I'll be fine, but right now we have to get you up and running."

"And then you'll let me actually patch you up? You did a shitty job."

"Not like I had a lot of time...and hands."Artemis pulled a chair toward the bench and placed one of Wally's legs on top of it. She knelt before the speedster and prodded the back of his knee, "Ah, there it is."

"What are you gonna do? Just pull it out?"

"I mean I could. Should I?"

Wally's head hit the wall and he groaned, "Yeah, just do it."

"Okay," Artemis bit her lip, "Uh, here it goes..." She pulled and a long curved thorn came out of the wound, "Gross," She said to the blood that dripped to the ground.

"Here, let me see it."

"You can have it," Artemis squished her nose in disgust, "Does your leg feel any different?"

Wally huffed, "Not that I can tell."

"Well, let me get the other one's out."

**Abandoned Enemy Outpost**

**Friday, February 13, 7:42pm**

The archer released a heavy sigh as she pulled the last of eleven thornes out of the speedster's legs. Looking up at Wally, Artemis noticed that he had pushed his mask back so it hooded at the nape of his neck. The speedster's eyes were narrowed and his full attention was placed on one of the thorns that he had broken open. Artemis smirked at they way his tongue stuck out through his teeth in concentration. Standing, the girl stretched her arms above her head, which she really should have thought about not doing, because her body rocked and the edges of her vision went black.

"Artemis?" Wally's voice sounded so far to the girl's ears.

"I'm fine," She placed her hand against the wall, "Just a head rush, is all."

"No it's not," Wally picked up his limp leg and dropped it on the floor, "Sit," He said, pointing to the now free chair.

Artemis's hand dropped to the back of the chair and she straddled it backwards, leaning her forehead against the back of the chair. Wally leaned forward and grabbed both sides of the old wooden chair, pulling it closer toward him the wood scraped against the dirt ground soundlessly. He then began to unravel the bloodstained gauze that Artemis had wrapped around her bicep. Scrunching his nose and squinting his eyes the speedster removed his gloves as he tried to get a good look at the wound, but finding no luck due to the setting sun.

The speedster placed a hand on the girl's head, "Hey, babe, do you have a light in one of those nifty pouches of yours?"

"Left, hip, middle."

Wally reached for the middle pouch and with success he pulled out a flashlight and a granola bar, "Uh, babe-"

"Eat it. I feel like I'm gonna puke anyway."

"Sweet," Wally sang as he clicked on the light and tore the bar open with one motion; it was gone within seconds. Tossing the wrapper onto the ground the speedster shone the light onto the archer's arm, _shit,_ was all the thought when he saw the red inflamed skin that was puckered with red dots around the cut.


End file.
